The Government factors to a bundle towards the power disaster that’s softer than anticipated: “This is not like Ukraine and we have done our homework” | Economy | EUROtoday

Get real time updates directly on you device, subscribe now.

The Government is within the midst of inside negotiations and with companions for the bundle of measures towards the power disaster that it’ll approve this Friday and that the president will current at a press convention, however it’s already declaring some concepts. The music distilled by the ministers concerned appears like a softer bundle than one may count on, and in any case, extra reasonable than the seven that have been agreed upon when the warfare in Ukraine broke out, as a result of the state of affairs is far much less critical. This was defined by each the vp and Minister of Ecological Transition, Sara Aagesen, and the Minister of Economy, Carlos Body.

Both insisted, with goal knowledge introduced on the display, that the consequences are very totally different and that because of this the measures will probably be proportional and progressive. “This is not like the war in Ukraine, and we are also much better prepared, we have done our homework in these years,” Aagesen defined. “Today, we are not in the circumstances of the war in Ukraine, that is why we are preparing a package of measures that will be proportional, limited to the affected areas,” Corps concluded. The minister has introduced a graph that proves that electrical energy with the warfare in Ukraine reached a mean of 246 euros three weeks later, and is now at 37. “Spanish SMEs are paying for their energy 20% below the rest of the European companies on average,” he insisted.

The Minister of Economy has dodged a number of occasions the query a few doable incorporation of housing measures on this Friday’s bundle, as Sumar calls for, however from his evasion it’s clear that the socialist sector believes that now isn’t the time to approve the lease freeze demanded by Yolanda Díaz’s group. Several authorities sources agree that the socialist ministers are by no means clear about this measure proposed by Sumar, though inside debates proceed and the president will lastly determine.

Until then, the minority associate will keep the strain, as Yolanda Díaz has carried out in public. The second vp of the Government and Minister of Labor believes that it’s “common sense” to incorporate in Friday’s royal decree the freezing of rental costs, though it’s an choice, it doesn’t persuade the PSOE. “It is evident that prices are rising, not only for diesel and gasoline, but also for the shopping basket and that there is a housing problem in Spain,” he acknowledged after the management session within the Senate. The socialist a part of the Government refuses to include the measure or some variants that have an effect on housing, whether or not it’s the extension of rents as within the pandemic or capping rental costs, arguing that Junts might overthrow the decree in Congress.

Body and Aagesen, the 2 important individuals answerable for getting ready the measures for this decree that will probably be accredited on Friday, and which can happen the next Thursday for parliamentary validation in Congress, in a vote that appears sophisticated, have insisted after the Council of Ministers that there will probably be tax reductions and help measures for the affected sectors. Also structural reforms to deepen much less dependence on oil. Spain, they’ve defined, is best ready than different European international locations to face this disaster, and has decrease power costs as a result of work that has been carried out in recent times, particularly as a result of enhance in using renewable power. But we should go deeper into that path. Aagesen has made it clear that the Government isn’t betting on nuclear power as an answer, however slightly on renewable power.

The vp is finalizing a broad bundle of reforms to extend electrification for this Friday. “We are going to continue reinforcing the commitment to renewables, to continue promoting electrification. We need competitive electricity, for the sectors to receive clear signals, to continue increasing the renewable energy park, and regulatory measures to continue encouraging self-consumption,” he defined.

Corps has additionally identified that measures that have been carried out with the Ukraine disaster, resembling assistance from 20 cents per liter of gasoline, have been confirmed to be “regressive” and that’s the reason they’re now dominated out. “A lesson we learned is that we need measures with a redistributive effect, we have a shared analysis that these 20 cents were the measure that had the most regressive effects, in addition to a negative impact on many service stations, especially the smaller ones. It is an inappropriate measure,” he summarized.

Lowering taxes on meals can be not on the desk proper now. The president of Mercadona, Juan Roig, who closed 2025 with its finest historic end result (1,729 million euros of revenue), advocates a 0% VAT on these merchandise with the reasoning that if uncooked supplies rise, the sector must elevate costs. Government sources reply as an choice for firms to decrease their revenue margins.

Beyond the measures for sectors and residents, Aagesen defined that the Council of Ministers has accredited an settlement to launch 11.5 million barrels of oil from Spanish strategic reserves, which is equal to 12.3 days of nationwide consumption, and a couple of.9% of the 400 million barrels that the International Energy Agency (IEA) has agreed to launch from international emergency reserves, a 3rd of the overall. “It is the largest release of oil resources in history,” recalled the vp. The earlier one occurred in 2022, inside the framework of the warfare in Ukraine, which concerned 180 million barrels.

https://elpais.com/economia/2026-03-17/el-gobierno-apunta-a-un-paquete-contra-la-crisis-energetica-mas-suave-de-lo-esperado-esto-no-es-como-ucrania-y-hemos-hecho-los-deberes.html